The new French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, has suggested that Afghan citizens should no longer qualify for asylum.

"The Taleban are no longer in power," he told Le Monde newspaper. "Must we continue to grant (Afghan people) political refugee status? I don't think so."

Sangatte

Opened 1999 to house refugees sleeping rough Meant to house 600 Currently houses about 1,300 Run by Red Cross An estimated 100 residents reach the UK each week 28,000 have passed through altogether

Mr Sarkozy reiterated a call for the harmonisation of asylum rules across the European Union, which is expected to be the main focus of a EU summit in Spain next month.

The French interior minister also confirmed that he intends to close down a controversial Red Cross camp for illegal immigrants at Sangatte, near Calais, in northern France.

Asylum seekers staying there try to reach Britain on board the trains linking the two countries. No date for closing the camp has been set.

Restive population

Mr Sarkozy said 50% of the asylum-seekers at Sangatte were Kurds, and 40% Afghans.

Last week Mr Sarkozy said the closure of the Sangatte camp was an "objective" because of concerns raised by both Britain and local residents.

Sarkozy wants tighter EU asylum rules

"Everyone understands that closing down Sangatte can be - must be - a goal, but cannot come first.

"If we do it too quickly, it would create more problems for the residents, for the locals, than it would solve."

The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says Mr Sarkozy wants Britain to make itself less attractive to asylum-seekers and new controls on the EU's external frontiers.

Mr Sarkozy visited Sangatte on Thursday last week - he was the first French minister to do so since the camp opened in 1999.

Our correspondent says Mr Sarkozy discovered angry locals, an overstretched police force and an increasingly restive population of young Kurds and Afghans crammed into the Red Cross hangar.